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Iwas a school boy,
when I first heard from our teacher the famous proverb in Kannada, “AaneyKaddaru kalla, adike kaddaru
kalla.”Means: A thief is a thief whether he steals an
elephant (Aaney) or a betel nut (Adike).There was a huge blackberry (Jamun) tree in our neighborhood.
In season time, this tree attracted lots of kids, which included me. Some of us
climbed the tree to steal jamuns, and some of us threw stones to get them…
till, the land-lady came screaming and abusing, a long stick in her hand. For
her, we kids were ‘thieves’… “Aaney
kaddaru kalla, adike (in this case, Jamun) kaddaru kalla!Whenever I look back at these episodes, my heart
smiles: I am a thief… Not a big thief. I am a cheat… Not a big cheat. I am a
liar… Not a big liar. I am a sinner… Not a big sinner. But, the fact remains:
whether I steal an elephant or whether I steal a betel nut (Or, our neighbor land-lady’s
jamuns), thief I am…Am I not?So many childhood incidents of cheating’, lying’ and stealing come before …

“The
fire that warms us can also consume us; it
is not the fault of the fire.” -
Swami Vivekananda

I admire
the steely faith that drives Anna Hazare’s life. He was, is and will be a
simple village soul… Not afraid of any kind of brute force around him. His
ideals are lofty and he believes in them like an innocent child does. The politicians,
businessmen, religious hardcores and even masses find his ideals not practical…
So, every time Anna
Hazare fasts unto death, I feel bad and sad for him. He is such an honest man…
such a courageous and steadfast man! But, deep in my soul, I know, his fast
will only go in vain. Look, what’s happening,
right now, on the Ram Leela maidan, where his fast has entered the 6th
day! Where are those so-called conscious-keeping activists of 2011 – a Kejriwal,
a Kiran Bedi, a retired Army Chief and the like? Where are the Super Stars who
hogged the limelight sitting with Anna? Where are our political parties and
their leaders?

Some days ago, a woman called me. “Sir, I have heard about your P.D.
programme during the summer. I have an 8-year-old daughter. As her school
system is June to June, she will not be able to attend your timings. She is a very
intelligent and confident girl… Very expressive and sensitive, too. Is there
something you can do for her?” “Ma’am,
she is just 8, and has in her everything a parent desires to see in a child,” I
said, “Don’t worry about our P.D. programme. You can always enroll her in the
future.” “But,
sir, her school schedule will never suit your summer programme,” the mother
insisted, “I just want her to ‘learn something good’ from your place.” The
same day, the mother signed up for her little one. And, we took off… Let me
tell you this: This kid is a whiz kid… A joy to behold… a pride to associate
with!

One of the reasons why I do what I do is: I get tremendous amount of fulfillment
from the thought, that I am a part of someone else’s success story. It may
sound like a selfish …

What
is happening in Syria is happening in Syria… We aren’t affected by it, you see.
We have our own problems… Why add more worries to our own? This is human tendency…
You and I, generally, choose to look the other side when it comes to ‘others’
problems. I am no angel or saint. I, too, look the other side, so often, when I
come across ‘others’ problems’… A dear friend of mine
has been showing her concern towards lakhs of little children affected by the
brutal Syrian war. She has been sharing heart-wrenching images to make her
friends, like me, feel a little more sensitive and empathetic towards these
helpless children, who are caught in the crossfire of human greed and ego. I don’t do what this
friend of mine does about Syrian children… Yes, both of us live here, thousands
of miles away from Syria… Both of us are ordinary citizens… We are aware of our
limitations… “What can we do to change the situa…

A
couple of years ago, a young girl had joined our P.D. course. The girl was very
confident and enthusiastic. Sometimes, her mother would come to see me and tell, “Sir,
my daughter doesn’t’ need this course, but son (who was in 9th
standard at that time) needs it badly.” “Why can’t you bring
him here, ma’am,” I would encourage the mother, “He has nothing to lose.” “Sir, I have been
trying to persuade him for so many years… He resents. I have tried all kinds of
doctors, therapies and schools… But, his problem remains… The only thing that
calms him down is his family – my husband, me and my daughter.” When they had come to enroll their daughter for our P.D. course, this woman
and her husband, strangely, did not discuss with me about
their son who needed help… So, they ended up enrolling the daughter, who, as I
said earlier, appeared confident and enthusiastic.” So, this time, after a
month, when the woman spoke about her son, I asked, “Ma’am, why didn’t you and
your husband discuss with me…

This is Lanten season for us, the Christians.
It is ingrained in our consciousness, that this is a time we should spend in reflection
and reconciliation. We pray intensely during this period… We confess, repent
for our sins… We fast, and, above all, seek forgiveness from God and seek His
grace and strength to make a fresh beginning. Personally, to me, this time is the
most enriching and moving time of the year… I feel the closeness to God more
during this period than I feel during the rest of the year. I feel, yes, a lot
humbled and human during Lent. One of the main church activities, during
Lent (apart from the traditional Way of the Cross), is Lenten Missions. Almost
all the Catholic churches hold these very inspiring and revival Missions. There
are special preachers (like Redemptionists) trained for years in conducting
this kind of renewal Missions during Lent. These priests are invited by different
churches to hold these Lenten Missions; mostly, late in the evenings, for the conv…

'Passionate about Life.'... That's how I see myself. For me, the term 'passion' has a special meaning. It is living life with its totality... With all its hues and confusions, with all its triumphs and defeats.
I consider myself as a little kid, still groping in the dark -- trying to find a way out of this great maze. Sometimes, I wonder: whether there is a way out at all? Whether the maze itself is the way?
Thus, as a kid awe-struck by this amazing mystery called LIFE, I have a lot to share with my fellow kids. I believe, it would be an exciting and fulfilling journey, each morning...
I am, indeed, looking forward to each dawn, with fresh eyes... And my fresh note to share...
Love,
GERALD D'CUNHA